Mustard & Co. Smoky BBQ

Over the weekend, the Bedfellow came for an amazing, whirlwind visit, and the first thing she sat down to eat after a long flight was a sandwich. Distance is a cruel addition to our partnership, and it has added food jealousy to our discourse.“What are you doing?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“It doesn’t sound like nothing. It sounds like chips.”
“It’s actually chips…and a sandwich.”
“What kind of sandwich?”“Look, you had pizza last night.”
“What kind of sandwich is it?”
“It’s chopped brisket with smoked Gouda, homemade mayo, and caramelized onions.”
“Jesus.”And so forth. This has worked us into a veritable tizzy, so when she sat down at my kitchen table last weekend, I knew I had to make it a good one. Plus, it was the 4th of July. I’d recently received a few jars of mustard, arguably my favorite condiment, from Seattle-based Mustard & Co. This is not your ordinary mustard. Imagine a pH scale- of mustard. Now, bear with me if you thought a pH scale of mustard was a terrible idea. If French’s, or Heinz, or whatever yellow mustard you use is a 7, or water, Coleman’s strong mustard powder is roughly a 10, right? Mittelscharf is a 12.This mustard is a 14.

This mustard is sinus-clearing, wasabi-like, off the Scoville charts spicy, mouthwatering, definition of savory, essence of mustard seed, cleaning the floors with ketchup-style mustard. It’s the Ruby Rose of mustard. It’s pure- mustard oil, brown mustard seed, vinegar, and a very curated set of flavors in each jar that accentuate the natural flavors of the seed. Smoky BBQ was delightful slathered atop chopped brisket with pepper jelly, steamed pierogies, and cheddar cheese for the Bedfellow to enjoy, and later on in the week, I wolfed down the equally tangy honey curry over grilled chicken.There’s a sweetness to this from the balsamic vinegar that brings a uniquely rounded flavor to the condiment- it accentuates robust meats but allows it to cut through more fatty cuts while still retaining their flavor. It takes a delicate hand to taper the balance- sweeter, less hearty meats would wilt in the face of this. It’s a hell of a condiment, perfect for any day of the year, and one that I’ll be proud to add to my trifecta of spicy honey, homemade mayonnaise, and Carolina BBQ sauce for future sandwiches. I can’t wait to get this back to Connecticut to try on rare roast beef.